Chapter 16—Relationships With Others
Community
We must not build a wall between ourselves and the world—
Our greatest necessity is a pure, clean heart and an understanding mind.
All kinds of malicious falsehoods were circulated against Christ, and
they will be circulated against God’s commandment-keeping people.
How shall we prove these to be false? Shall it be by building up a
wall between us and the world? Christ’s prayer answers this point:
“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that
thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” While our work is aggressive,
it must be conducted on Bible principles. All our enterprises are to
be carried forward with Christlike simplicity, patience, forbearance,
and love for God and for Christ. Our work is to convince, not to
condemn. The human beings around us possess like infirmities with
ourselves.—
Manuscript Releases 2:195
.
Do not denounce other denominations—When some who lack
the Spirit and power of God enter a new field, they commence de-
nouncing other denominations, thinking that they can convince the
people of the truth by presenting the inconsistencies of the popular
churches. It may seem necessary on some occasions to speak of these
things, but in general it only creates prejudice against our work and
closes the ears of many who might otherwise have listened to the truth.
If these teachers were connected closely with Christ, they would have
divine wisdom to know how to approach the people.—
Testimonies for
the Church 4:535
.
Ministers should not create schisms by fighting battles in the
political world—Those who stand as educators, as ministers, as labor-
ers together with God in any line, have no battles to fight in the political
world. Their citizenship is in heaven. The Lord calls upon them to
stand as separate and peculiar people. He would have no schisms
in the body of believers. His people are to possess the elements of
reconciliation. Is it their work to make enemies in the political world?
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